"Back to the Future" Thompson, July 2014

Jeff, you said you didn't like the flow.. I actually love it. I think it has a rythm to it. I think they did a great job with the layout and I enjoy "lapping" just as much as racing it. Its a busy track just to drive let alone race on. Given the property they have I think its great, ya no watkins glen but compare it to NHMS and it is sooooo much better IMHO. I think the transition onto the oval is fine, gives a unique challenge with the camber change. Reviewing my Data from the weekend my fastest lap I LOST .7 seconds just in the bridge turn from when I did that same turn the fastest over the weekend. I think this turn may have a MUCH bigger impact on lap time than I ever thought it did... Coming off the oval it is bumpy and unsettles the car enough to make you pucker if your going fast and touching the brakes after your on the new pavement. That turn is fast, real fast! Dick is correct about coming onto the front in turn 11. not really a passing zone side by side or your screwed. if your lapping lift between 10 and 11 so you have a run on entry and take them on the way out... you will be WAY faster all the way down the front straight and be rewarded for it. if you lift IN the turn you lost time that you can never get back until turn 1. I am trying to post up my video now but it's taking forever. will put up a link when it is done.
 
Loved the "It's a bad weekend to be a Miata" vinyl on the 7's.[/QUOTE]

I must agree, it was a bad weekend to be a Miata :(
 
Awww, sorry Serge. Prod Miatae don't count! And I hope I didn't scare you too much coming around four when you were spun around. By the time I saw you the car had already hooked and I was committed to going to the right of you.
 
Well my review...

First they are strict with the $10 entry after registration hours. I am personally not a huge fan of that, you would figure they are making enough on the region already at a $375 entry. How much more are they really making to stick it to those that show up late? Then after paying $10 you need to wait at a stupid red light before you cross the bridge... I love and hate that bridge!

Now onto those lego wall things... at a rumored $350 cost per damaged one to the region you have to question how long until something changes. I blew a tire in turn 7 (kept driving) and went off in turn 10. When I went off I brushed the wall on drivers left (it comes up real fast!). Minor damage to the rear quarter panel/tail light of the Audi but nothing to bad. If it was a concrete wall, guardrail, or tire wall it may not have been just a brush with the wall. When walking the track later I noticed a puncture in the section I skimmed (along with my red paint!). I hope that we did not have to pay for it. I also saw at least one car escape significant damage running straight into them. Not only did it save the car so it could back off the barrier and continue but it also avoid a FCY to pick up scattered tires or a damaged car in an impact zone. So with that said, I am not sure how I feel about them. That barrier certainly SAVED that driver way more than $350, although he may have damaged more than one :)

Next lets talk about the most important part, safety! This ties into the above. Those Lego things ARE car/life savers, unless you could ride over them (rumor was at another event someone did ride up on top of some?) With or without the lego's this is IMO one of the safest tracks I have raced at. Sure the pit lane needs an entry, and I don't like the concrete wall on drivers left coming onto the oval or that half wall on drivers right coming on the oval but that turn (6?) is more stable than it seems when you are actually driving - even with the transition Jeff is complaining about. On line I actually didn't really notice much of a transition in the Audi. I would guess that other than car failure the biggest/most common place you can get in trouble due to driver error would be turn 10. But the slower unique configuration of this track really makes it safe IMO.

Now lets talk about turn 1 on the first lap... Sure there can be carnage but with the slow speed of a start it really isn't any more dangerous than any other turn 1. In fact I think it is FAR more safe than turn 3 at NHMS or big bend at Lime Rock. Plenty of room everywhere to drop off and continue. It is an early turn in, so just realize if you are on drivers left entering the turn you WILL have someone on the inside of you pushing you out toward the curb on the exit. Hold on through turn 2 and get them back in turn 3!

So what about the rest of the track when you are racing??? Other than in turn 1 I don't think it is as easy to pass as other tracks but there are plenty of places to pass cars IMO. Get yourself up beside someone and you can run side by side until someone gets a lead. Basically it will take you two or three turns to make the pass stick. This is better than A LOT of other tracks. Those complaining really need to think about it... most tracks have only 1 or 2 good passing zones (Even great tracks like Lime Rock, and about Mid Ohio) In good wheel to wheel racing the best passes are the ones that take a few turns to complete! And the track is plenty big enough for side by side racing.

Now about that Autocross... I am not a fan of that comparison. This is not an autocross. If it were we wouldn't be in third gear through most of the track (just like NHMS), we would be in 2nd. Yes, the track is busy, but it has a ton of great turns. Does it have to many? I can see the argument but for now I like it. My least favorite turn is 7/8. Could be that I never figured it out... but I really didn't like that turn. I wish we used the oval but those walls look like they could hurt!

The big thing I do like about the track... it is unique! In the Northeast our tracks are all small and tight, unlike other places in the country. IMO you can only do so much with ~1.5 miles and this is nothing like Lime Rock or NHMS. Cars generally don't dominate both of those tracks, and once again they may not dominate here. Three very similar length tracks that are completely different. With the space they had I really think they did a great job bringing this track back to life. The other great part, it is close easy ride to home for a ton of people.

I hope more people come out and race it, I don't think they will be disappointed... and if they are they didn't want to drive someplace new.

Raymond
 
Haha, I thought the same thing jeff :-) You beat me to posting that same comment!

I wonder what it will be like after a new england winter...

And on another note did anyone see them painting turn 10 with brown sealer on Sunday... I did.

Stephen
 
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I actually thought 3 could be a reasonable place to pass. Slower car stays outside, faster apexes early. IF they see you. During soft opening I attempted that but needed to back off.
 
Here is a video of Sundays race at Thompson from outside pole in the ITR Mazda RX8. First lap is in real time then most of the video is fast forward to make it faster. I know a few people that wanted to see the incident in turn 1 on the start. I also slowed it down when I made the pass for third on Rob Breault and then slowed it down again when I almost lost it in Turn 10. My fast lap in the race was only a 1:21.7 and fastest of the weekend was a 121.2. I really wish my rotary thing under the hood had a lot more torque for the starts!


http://youtu.be/_WVNnGwoA0M

Stephen
 
team-gpracing said:
Awww, sorry Serge. Prod Miatae don't count! And I hope I didn't scare you too much coming around four when you were spun around. By the time I saw you the car had already hooked and I was committed to going to the right of you.
Click to expand...

You and the following group certainly had my attention. Then I realized I'd better get the car restarted quickly and face in the right direction! :wacko:
 
RSTPerformance said:
Well my review...

First they are strict with the $10 entry after registration hours. I am personally not a huge fan of that, you would figure they are making enough on the reg! 0n already at a $375 entry. How much more are they really making to stick it to those that show up late? Then after paying $10 you need to wait at a stupid red light before you cross the bridge... I love and hate that bridge!
Click to expand...
I agree. That additional $10.00 should not be charged to SCCA members. After all, the club is renting the track for the weekend and as a member, I shouldn't be charged for accessing our rental property.

Now onto those lego wall things... at a rumored $350 cost per damaged one to the region you have to question how long until something changes. I blew a tire in turn 7 (kept driving) and went off in turn 10. When I went off I brushed the wall on drivers left (it comes up real fast!). Minor damage to the rear quarter panel/tail light of the Audi but nothing to bad. If it was a concrete wall, guardrail, or tire wall it may not have been just a brush with the wall. When walking the track later I noticed a puncture in the section I skimmed (along with my red paint!). I hope that we did not have to pay for it. I also saw at least one car escape significant damage running straight into them. Not only did it save the car so it could back off the barrier and continue but it also avoid a FCY to pick up scattered tires or a damaged car in an impact zone. So with that said, I am not sure how I feel about them. That barrier certainly SAVED that driver way more than $350, although he may have damaged more than one :)
Click to expand...
I personally tested the Lego wall Saturday morning, (strictly as an experiment):unsure: and discovered that they worked as designed. I sustained body work damage but the suspension and alignment were not affected. The advantage over the tire wall is that the Legos absorbed the momentum and didn't rebound the car across the track. Had this been Armco, the car would have been totaled.

Serge
 
rstperformance said:
well my review...
The big thing i do like about the track... It is unique! In the northeast our tracks are all small and tight, unlike other places in the country. Imo you can only do so much with ~1.5 miles and this is nothing like lime rock or nhms. Cars generally don't dominate both of those tracks, and once again they may not dominate here. Three very similar length tracks that are completely different.
Raymond
Click to expand...

qft
 
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